tank

USTANGK/tæŋk/TANK/tæŋk/

Pluraltanks

Verbtanks, tanking, tanked

19 meanings of tank

Practice

1
nouncountable
A large container for holding liquid or gas, such as water, fuel, or oil.
Like a giant sealed bottle for holding liquid or gas.
We filled the tank with fresh water before the trip.
The diver checked that her air tank was full.
UsageSay a water tank, a gas tank or a fish tank.
Similarreservoir, container
2
war vehiclenouncountable
A large armored war vehicle that moves on metal tracks and fires a big gun.
Like a moving metal fort with a big gun on top.
The tank rolled across the field, crushing the fence in its path.
Soldiers crouched behind a wall as the tank slowly approached.
3
shirt (no sleeves)nounabbreviationellipsis
Short for tank top. A sleeveless shirt worn in warm weather.
She wore a faded tank and denim shorts to the concert.
He pulled a clean tank over his head before heading out.
Note
4
fall sharplyverbintransitive
To quickly lose value or fail, often used about money or sales.
Like a stone dropping straight to the bottom of a pond.
Their sales tanked after the bad reviews came out.
The company's stock will tank if the deal falls through.
Similarplummet, plunge, crash, slump
Oppositesoar, surge, boom
5
nouncountable
The full amount that a tank can hold.
Like saying a bucket of paint to mean how much one bucket holds.
We used a whole tank of water on the garden.
One tank of gas got us all the way there.
UsageSay a tank of gas.
Similartankful
6
shield characternouncountable
A character or unit whose job is to take enemy hits and hold their attention, instead of dealing damage or healing.
Like a shield that takes the hits so the others stay safe.
Our team needs a tank to soak up the boss's attacks.
She always picks the tank so her friends can attack safely.
Note
7
nouncountable
In India and Australia, a pond or reservoir, often man-made, that stores water.
Like a big outdoor bowl that holds water for swimming or fishing.
The old temple in the village has a large stone tank for bathing.
After the rains, the cattle drank from the muddy tank in the paddock.
Similarpond, reservoir, pool
Note
8
steam enginenounabbreviationellipsis
Short for tank engine or tank locomotive, a steam engine that carries its own water.
The old tank moved freight cars around the rail yard all day.
A small tank pulled the train up the steep branch line.
Note

Less common meanings

9
muscular personnouncolloquialcountable
A very big, strong person who looks powerful and hard to knock down.
Like a person as big and solid as a small truck.
The new bodyguard was a real tank, towering over everyone.
Her brother is a tank who can lift the couch on his own.
Similarhulk, beast, powerhouse
Oppositeweakling
10
lose on purposeverbtransitive or intransitive
To lose a game on purpose, often to get an advantage later.
Like losing a small game on purpose so you can win a bigger one later.
Fans accused the team of tanking to get a better draft pick.
Some players tank early matches to face weaker opponents later.
UsageSay a team tanked the season or tanked a game.
Similarthrow
Note
11
jail cellnounslangUScountable
A jail cell, or jail in general.
Like a locked room where police keep people for a short time.
The police threw him in the tank overnight.
She spent two nights in the tank before bail came through.
UsageSay in the tank or the drunk tank.
Similarcell, lockup, jail, clink
Note
12
verbtransitive or intransitive
To take hits or attacks yourself, often in games, so that your teammates stay safe.
Like standing in front of your friends to take all the hits yourself.
You tank the dragon while we attack it from behind.
Someone has to tank, or the whole group gets wiped out.
UsageSay tank the boss, or just tank.
Note
13
fill with fuelverbtransitive
To put fuel or another liquid into a tank.
Like filling a bottle, but the bottle is a big tank.
We tanked up at the last gas station before the desert.
Let's tank up the car tonight so we can leave early.
UsageUsually tank up.
Similarfill, fuel
Oppositedrain, empty
Note
14
noundatedUKcountable
A person hired to guard a door and keep order at a club.
Similarbouncer, doorman
Note
15
verbcolloquialSingaporetransitive
To put up with something hard or unpleasant, or agree to take on a difficult job.
Like holding still while something annoying keeps going.
I can't tank his constant complaining anymore.
She had to tank the noise from next door all summer.
Similarendure, bear, withstand, take, stomach
16
nounslang
An imaginary place a player mentally goes to think hard about a choice.
17
verbslang
To think hard about a choice for a long time before deciding.
18
noun
A cup made of tightly packed leaves that some plants use to hold water.
19
noun
An old Indian unit for weighing small amounts, such as seeds or pearls.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of tank apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It comes from Portuguese tanque, meaning a container for liquid, which came from an Indian language word for a cistern. The armoured vehicle got the name in 1915, partly to hide what it was.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

English tank comes from Portuguese tanque, meaning a liquid container. en.wiktionary.org
Portuguese tanque comes from an Indian-language word for a cistern. en.wiktionary.org
The armoured vehicle received the name in 1915 to conceal its nature. en.wikipedia.org